When Akil Houston speaks this afternoon, it won't be because he's teaching a class.
Houston, an assistant professor in the African American Studies department at Ohio University, will be speaking about Re-Membering African American Studies at Ohio University at 2 p.m. today in Alden Library room 319.
The presentation will focus on a film Houston is making about the history of the African American Studies department.
It'll be a series of oral histories of people who have been involved in the department in various capacities
Houston said.
It is important for people to know this history because the African American Studies department has helped spring forward other departments dealing with race and gender, Houston said.
Although the African American Studies department has a significant history, there is not much documentation and it is one of those areas that needs to be told he said.
Houston is one of two speakers that will be a part of Alden Library's current Culture Showcase series. This quarter's theme is Partnering for 40 Years: African American Studies and Alden Library. Both Alden Library and the African American Studies department are celebrating their 40th anniversaries this year.
We're trying to partner with African American Studies in showcasing who they are and how far they've come in the last 40 years said Eileen Theodore-Shusta, head of human resources and chair of the library's diversity committee.
The Culture Showcase will also feature a research competition and a list of suggested readings for more information about African American Studies.
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Culture
Lynsie Dickerson
